The Town of Centreville Requests
Additional Effluent Discharge
You will need Adobe Acrobat to read the documents - go here to get a copy
NEW MDE Spray Field Inspection Report from April 25, 2005.
Video of the Town's Appearance at the 3/28/2006 County Commissioners Meeting - (Some of these are very large files, so you might want to right click and download them before trying to play them.)
Introduction (Legal Stuff) - Patrick Thompson
Centreville's Testimony - Centreville now wants year-round spraying and 567,000 gpd
Kurt Babe's Testimony - additional 67,000 gpd is a surprise
Ed Walls' Testimony - there will be monetary bankruptcy in Centreville if they don't get these allocations
Sveinn Storm's Testimony - the Town of Centreville has another surprise
David's? Testimony - thanks Royden Powell for his hard work
Walter Woodford's Testimony - additional capacity needed for commercial development
Tucker Moorsehead - thanks commissioners for all of the growth in the County
Gene Ransom - asks if Centreville wants to respond to Storm's serious allegations
Video of the Town's Appearance at the 3/14/2006 County Commissioners Meeting - (These are very large files, so you might want to right click and download them before trying to play them.)
Presentation by Royden Powell (~21 mins)
Discussion (~ 27 mins)
Kurt Babe's Comments at the 1/24/2006 County Water & Sewer Hearing - "Allow me to point out a number of areas that the Town of Centreville is noncompliant and further make the case for a rejection of their request to modify the buffer zone."
Transcript of the November 1999 Public Hearing for the Spray Irrigation Discharge Permit. "And overall the site capacity appears to be right now, we are estimating at 361,000 to 647,000 gallons per day is possible."
MDE Site Investigation of Dump at Centreville Spray Irrigation Farm May 2005
Letter from MDE to the Town 5/3/2005 describing the process for renewing permit and increasing capacity to 542,000 gpd. "... an EDU of 250 gpd has significant historical precedent and is generally favored throughout the State."
Letter from MDE to the Town 4/29/2005 summarizing concerns with the spray irrigation site.
MDE Inspection Report 4/28/2005 - "Spraying should not occur on bare unvegetated soils. Excessive irrigation resulting in surface runoff or ponding is prohibited."
Letter from the Town to MDE 4/28/2005 protesting the proposed wind restriction limitation - "The technical merit of a wind speed limit of 10 mph has not been demonstrated and appears arbitrary."
E-mail from MDE to the Town 4/18/2005 noting that the storage lagoon at the spray field is at 70% capacity.
E-mail from URS to MDE 3/18/2005 documenting telephone conversations regarding an increase of spray capacity to 542,000 gpd.
Follow-up Letter from URS to MDE 1/12/2005 - "... not only will any re-rating of the irrigation system follow the EPA Land Application Manual but, also, the MDE regulations which include a minimum of 60 days of storage."
Application to Renew Groundwater Discharge Permit for the Centreville Spray Irrigation Facility.
Soil-Hydrogeologic Evaluation Conducted for the Proposed [at that time] Centreville Spray Irrigation Facility
Groundwater Quality Management Plan for the Centreville Spray Irrigation Facility
Nutrient Management Plan for the Centreville Spray Irrigation Facility. "Spray Irrigation application & timing is controlled by the 'Town Council of Centreville'."
EPA Visits Centreville At Congressman's Request WBAL story 6/30/05 - "The standard is high and the inspectors would have to witness sewage effluent flowing into the creek during their inspection."
Pesticide found to be at acceptable levels Article in Star-Democrat 6/10/2005 - "A thorough evaluation of the samples show the amount found to be well within acceptable levels for all current and future land use, according to MDE."
Banned Pesticide Found at Dump on Shore Poses No Danger, State Says article in 5/9/2005 Sun - "As a precaution, officials plan to remove surface soil with the highest concentrations of the chemical, a step beyond current environmental regulations, said Town Manager Royden N. Powell III."
Agency Releases Results of Centreville Irrigation Field Sampling MDE Press Release 5/8/2005 - “The Department’s toxicologists have assured me that this chemical binds with the soil and does not migrate into ground or surface waters.”
Video of Sveinn Storm's comments on Spray Irrigation at the County Commissioners' 5/17/05 Meeting - Gene Ransom requests that Sveinn stop wearing "The Shirt."
"Centreville Faces More Fines Over Irrigation Field" WBAL Story 5/23/3005
Sveinn Storm's Narrated slide show concerning Spray Farm violations
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"Ehrlich Appointees Lose Jobs Amid Pollution Report, WBAL-TV Uncovers Pollution On State-Managed Facility" WBAL Story 5/18/05
Arial Photo of Spray Farm before construction of pond and installation of spray rigs
"Operator needed for disposal system" article in 5/16/2005 Star-Democrat - "Town Councilwoman Mary McCarthy was angry with MES’ decision to pull out as operator of the spray irrigation system. She said MES was 'brought here to bail us out, and now they’re quitting.' She said on 'day 31' MDE will order MES to keep operating the Centreville spray facility."
Photos from 5/13/2005 Spray Farm Tour
"MDE investigates when insecticide containers found. Empty cans were on site of town’s spray irrigation operation" Article in Star-Democrat 5/15/05
Kollinger Cartoon, Star-Democrat 5/15/05 - Centreville before and after State intervention.
"Containers of banned pesticide found on Shore, Winter rains uncover old Centreville dump" Article in 5/14/05 Baltimore Sun
"Breast Cancer-Causing Chemical Found In Soil. Congressman, Officials Tour Polluted Eastern Shore Land" - WBAL Story 5/13/05 -
Kollinger Cartoon, Star-Democrat 5/10/05 - "Might be more runoff then we thought"
Corsica River Restoration Action Strategy Final Report (6 megabytes)- "The Town’s goal is to ensure that growth does not occur at the expense of the Corsica River."
MES' response to the WBAL Story - "The department and our client appear to want us to make a judgment call about when it’s okay to spray or not. This leaves MES open to unfair blame and is not acceptable. For this reason, we recently have decided to reconsider MES' role in operating the spray fields."
WBAL Report: Centreville Water Source of Inquiry (5/9/2005) - Gilchrest: "We have this obvious, horrendous activity going on. Somebody should be brought to the woodshed for this."
Kollinger Cartoon and Editorial: At last, Gilchrest has a hint of scandal, Star-Democrat 5/6/2005 - "So the message Centreville is sending to terrorists wishing to disrupt the town’s sewage treatment capabilities is twofold. The first is that to gain access to the irrigation site you must first call the town office. And secondly, if your goal is to pollute our rivers and streams, we don’t need help."
Police checking trespassing call find activist and congressman Gilchrest had permission to tour spray fields from town councilwoman, Article in 5/3/2005 Star Democrat - "Gilchrest wonders if someone is trying to hide something. He said it’s 'a little ridiculous' if a U.S. congressman can’t visit a municipal sewage treatment site that’s located in the district he represents."
Town of Centreville to host tour of Wastewater Spray Field Operations - 5/2/2005 Press Release - "The Town of Centreville is planning a tour of its wastewater disposal spray fields on May 17, 2005 [Rescheduled to May 31st]. The tour is designed to provide information to the Queen Anne’s County Commissioners about the spray operation and will include presentations from technical and regulatory agencies involved with the farm."
MD Dept of Assessments and Taxation Data on Spray Farm - Farm was purchased February 2000
MD Dept of the Environment Guide to Erosion and Sediment Control
Gilchrest asks EPA to investigate pollution complaints, article in Baltimore Sun 4/29/2005 - Spray irrigation system might harm tributary, Shore congressman says
Video clips from 4/12/2005 County Commissioner's Meeting Concerning Spray Irrigation
Sveinn Storm (Community Activist)
Tucker Mooreshead (Earth Data)
Sveinn Storm expresses concerns about Centreville Spray Irrigation at 4/5/2005 County Commissioner's Meeting - video clip
Video of 3/29/2005 County Sanitary Commission tabling Centreville's request for an additional 42,000 gpd of Spray discharge. From the minutes: "Commissioner Ransom made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Cassell, to amend the 1996 Master Water and Sewer Plan to allow the Town of Centreville to increase its wastewater effluent discharge from 500,000 gpd to 542,000 contingent on receipt of a letter from Patrick Thompson, Esquire, County Attorney, saying this is acceptable. After discussion, Commissioner Cassell made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Ransom with Commissioner Niedomanski opposing, to table this vote until the Board receives the letter from Mr. Thompson, a schedule from MDE regarding the process for reviewing and issuing permits and a memo to the Planning and Zoning Department asking them to notify adjacent property owners and potential future developments of the use of spray irrigation."
Star-Democrat 3/25/2005 Two citizens criticize Centreville spray irrigation plan - "Prouty said after the hearing that bushes would be planted as a buffer between the homes and spray irrigation fields. He estimated the distance from the spray irrigation fields to the edge of Hope Road (opposite the homes) was 300 feet. He said the shortest distance between the spray fields and a stream (Three Bridges Branch) was also probably 300 feet. Prouty said all the treated wastewater must “soak into the ground” under the requirements of the MDE permit."
From County Sanitary Board Meeting 3/22/2005 - "The town of Centreville is seeking to increase their treated wastewater discharge limit from 500,000 gallons per day to 542,000 gallons per day. It is the intent to utilize the existing spray irrigation lands located on Tax Map 45 Parcel 3 during the growing season, and the existing stream discharge into Gravel Run during the winter season. The amendment request is to allow for the increase in discharge due to the new wastewater plant being able to produce effluent meeting ‘reclaimed water’ standards, which allows for a reduction in the width of the buffers." Video clips:
Introduction - Patrick Thompson, Royden Powell, Gene Ransom
Testimony of Sveinn Storm
Testimony of Ed Walls
Guidelines for Land Treatment of Municipal Wastewaters (MDE-WMA-001)
MDE's Presentation to the QAC Commissioners Explaining Spray Irrigation - video clips and slides from April 2004.
Minutes from County Meeting of 8/3/1999 where spray irrigation is approved - "The Town must plant a hedge row or other tall vegetation to provide a buffer from adjacent properties for spray operations."
Minutes from County Public Hearing of 7/20/1999 seeking approval for spray irrigation - "Ms. Faith Rossing, Land Use Planner 111, noted the staff recommends the Sanitary Commission amend the Master Water and Sewer Plan to designate the parcel S-l as requested with the condition the site be used only for the spray irrigation and associated holding pond(s) of treated effluent for the purpose of supporting development within the boundaries of the Centreville Growth Area."